High efficiency CdS/CdTe solar cells from solution-grown CdS films

Author

Chu, T.L. ; Chu, S.S. ; Ferekides, C. ; Wu, C.Q. ; Britt, J. ; Wang, C.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

fYear

1991

fDate

7-11 Oct 1991

Firstpage

952

Abstract

Adherent thin films of CdS were deposited on glass and SnO₂:F/glass substrates from an aqueous solution, and the important process parameters were investigated. The deposited films show high optical transmission at sub-bandgap wavelengths and high photoconductivity ratios. Thin-film CdS/CdTe solar cells have been prepared by depositing p-CdTe films onto CdS-SnO₂:F/glass substrates by close-spaced sublimation. Junction photovoltage spectroscopy has been used for the qualitative comparison of junction characteristics. Solar cells of 1 cm² area with an AM 1.5 efficiency of higher than 13% are reported

Keywords

II-VI semiconductors; cadmium compounds; crystal growth from melt; optical films; semiconductor thin films; solar cells; CdS-CdTe solar cells; junction photovoltage spectroscopy; optical transmission; photoconductivity ratios; sub-bandgap wavelengths; thin film semiconductors; Cadmium compounds; Glass; Heterojunctions; Optical films; Photovoltaic cells; Semiconductor films; Semiconductor thin films; Spraying; Sputtering; Substrates;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1991., Conference Record of the Twenty Second IEEE

Conference_Location

Las Vegas, NV

Print_ISBN

0-87942-636-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1991.169349

Filename

169349